Town meeting is a wonderful if sometimes grueling form of democracy. The wonder of it is the way it represents one of the truest forms of democracy. Where else can you stand up to a microphone, speak directly to your elected and appointed representatives, the people you pay to provide services, and advocate, argue, and vote for change? The grueling part is that it can linger on into the wee hours of the night.
Protesting in the streets can sometimes feel like yelling into an echo chamber; at the ballot box, at least in Massachusetts, a presidential election can feel like an academic exercise, given the Electoral College. And, sadly, we live in a time when forces are at work to undercut the power of voting by making it more difficult — limiting mail-in voting, requiring IDs, eliminating same-day voter registration, and, in some extreme cases, harassing voters and ballot officials.
But here on the Island, in the pews of the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown or in the stiff blue plastic chairs of the West Tisbury School gymnasium, side-by-side with the neighbor we just met or our plumber across town, we feel that we are really making a difference at town meetings. Anyone who is registered to vote, regardless of status or knowledge, can participate.
Residents on the six Island towns have been gathering for their annual town meetings in recent weeks, with only Aquinnah — scheduled for next week — yet to cast a vote. The big topic this year has been the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, which voters in the five towns have voted to phase out over the next three years. There has also been the topic of accessory dwelling units, and important issues unique to each town.
One topic that has not gotten much press but deserves praise is a small debate that played out in West Tisbury.
The town’s select board proposed setting a new town meeting quorum that would essentially make it easier for the town to reach the number of voters required to conduct business. Instead of the current 5 percent of registered voters, which is about 130 registered voters, the board proposed reducing it to just 100 people. Not a big difference, unless of course the population increases.
The rationale of the board made sense. There has been difficulty getting enough voters out to some town meetings. In October last year, the town tried to call a special town meeting to pass just a few spending requests, including the purchase of a fire truck that would help with wildfires. But not enough voters came out to the meeting, and the business was delayed. It was the second time West Tisbury couldn’t reach a quorum.
There was also a suggestion by the board that the town’s population has grown in recent years. With city residents flocking to the Island to escape the pandemic, the required number of voters needed to meet the quorum rose, and the theory was that new Island residents might not be as interested in partaking in local politics.
But on the town meeting floor in April, when the board was making its pitch to reduce the quorum requirement, there was significant pushback, enough so it didn’t pass. The sense from voters was that the town should be encouraging people to get out and vote, rather than folding. Their rationale is similar to what we have argued — in this day and age, with voting rights under threat, we should be encouraging more people to get out and vote. And with regard to new residents, the town should be making an effort to incorporate them into town business and goings-on, rather than cynically presuming they are “washashores” from the days of COVID.
Somewhat ironically, at West Tisbury’s annual meeting, where the vote was taken, the school gymnasium was flooded with voters. There were well over 300 residents in attendance, nearly triple the required quorum. That could likely be chalked up to a loaded warrant — aside from leaf blowers, the town was also indirectly considering what to do with an iconic but arguably invasive pond, a new tax on restaurants bills under consideration, and a proposal to spend a significant amount of money to study how to upgrade the West Tisbury School.
But voters also acknowledged that the town had done a much better job getting the word out. Text messages had been sent to voters, email blasts sent out; announcements were posted online.
The voters of West Tisbury made the right, and difficult, decision, standing up for voters’ rights, and we applaud that. Instead of making their lives easier, town officials should work harder to meet voters where they are, and make it easier to vote. We should say that by rejecting the town’s request, voters now have a duty to show up and vote at town meeting. But in the age of polarization and restrictions on voting, it’s a good reminder that elected and appointed officials are there to support us, and voting is the truest way to hold them accountable — the more participating, the more they will work to meet our needs.
